My pick for tonight!

For Aussie readers, tonight is the finale of HomeMADE, a fantastic competition for Interior Designers and Stylists. My pick for the winner is Jason Sullivan, Model and Design Assistant who has taken the show by storm. The room above was one of my favourite rooms Jason had done. I think I love it because all of the white pieces pop against the dark colours to give the space a really sophisticated, clean and earthy feel to it.
Everything in this room is gorgeous. The silver platter on the wall looks superb against the dark walls and the coffee table is just gorgeous. Jason's style is very RL and maybe that's why I pick him to win homeMADE tonight.
If you would like to have a look at the show click HERE
Ness xx
photos from Real Living Magazine

...my legs are a little better today!

Needing a lie down?

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I do! One of the reasons I have not been around Blog land lately is because...I have started boot camp!!! and it hurts...LOTS! Last night I pulled my quad (front of thigh) muscle getting out of the car, then tonight felt 'pop' while running at boot camp. I am in loads of pain and need a good lie down....in any of these bedrooms please.

This one is just beautiful. There is only one thing in this space I am not into - that picture thing above the bed...sorry I don't get it. Every thing else is just right.

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The neutral palette and those beaded walls are magic!

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A well appointed room would make me feel better, and I could always have a rest on the sofa and a leg up on the sweet tufted ottoman.

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My favourite things for a room. Louis sofa, quilted cover, chandelier, French doors, antique style urn, bust and white.
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...but maybe I will stick with something simple, uncluttered and restful...and the floors and grey throw are like whats in my own room. I am off to bed now...think healing thoughts for me. I have to go back to boot camp on Wednesday night...ouch.

Ness xx

Flour Sack Reinvented!!!

I have finally reinvented my Flour Sack pillows!! I have made 4 to put onto my Etsy Shoppe to see how they go, then I will make more.


This is the White and Wheat one. The text has changed and the year, incorporating the year our home was built...and the little bee has been added. These new ones will have different styles of ladder stitch ribbon, as I find it so they won't always be with this one.

I am still selling them filled and ready to go...no inserts needed!
This one is the Wheat and Caramel pillow. It is lovely and warm and goes great with the white.
I really like this new interpretation of my old favourite...what do you think?
Click HERE to see the shop.
Ness xx

Birth of a room...

Seeing I am in renovation mode again, I thought I would show you the evolution of this room...how it came about and what it ended up as.

This is an improvement on how it began. We had to basically gut it and start again, re-lining the walls first and taking the old 70's brick off the beautiful old brick in the fireplace. The light and carpet is what was here when we bought it...someone liked them!!!
We had to fill between all of the beaded ceiling grooves, repaint, put up new cornice to suit the era, added picture rail and chair rail and high skirting's.
Dad set to work building the new fireplace surround to protect the old bricks. Previous owners had really done a job on the fireplace and we had to render the bottom just to stop it falling apart and to make it look nicer.
I painted this 1 meter x 1 meter canvas to become the main focal point of the room....
...while I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Mason! As you have probably guessed by now we were doing his bedroom/nursery. This was taken the day we brought him home.
We had to re carpet (obviously) and I painted the room Chalk USA as I wanted the toys and the canvas to be the main colours in the room. At the time we had balloon curtains in the window and side drapes were added. There is now wicker roman blinds.

...at this point we still hadn't finished the fireplace. The bespoke corbels had gone on and the bricks and render painted the same as our other fireplaces, but the detail was still being sorted.
As of 3 weeks ago, it is now the playroom. We have taken the bed out and Mason is now in with Declan. He will probably go back in there at some point, but for now they want to be in the same room. Long time readers will know that the rooms in our home never stay the same way for long. I wonder what it will be next.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Ness xx

Screaming Summer...

These images conjure up memories of Summer for me and as it is bitterly cold and raining here at the moment I thought you might like to warm up with me.
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A grassy backyard is always on my list of Summer loves. B-b-q's and Family gatherings and lazy Sundays laying on a blanket with my Sisters chatting was always special.

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Seeing people spending time outside, sitting on their front porches and saying hi to all the kids as we rode our scooters along the pavement.
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This doesn't really remind me of Summers past, but future ones.

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One of my fondest memories of Family time in Summer was being at the Family holiday house at Vincentia, right by the ocean with sunburn (a no-no I know), lemonade Icy poles and smiles all around....ah Summer!

I hope you have all warmed up.

Ness xx

Lovin...

...this wonderfully quirky range from Teo Jasmin.

I think this would look great in a really funky restaurant or a business lobby. Somewhere to create interest. The range is huge and there are loads of beautifully pieces that are a little more subdued. Click HERE for a look.

Ness xx

For all of you...

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These flowers are for all of you who, like me, are trying to get through a renovation...and a few words to keep you all going. Sorry for my short posts of late and my lack of comments on your blogs, but I have been extremely busy.
Ness xx

busy, busy, busy!

My office at present resembles a bomb site while I source, price and design our bathroom. We have pretty much settled on a layout and know what is going in the space. It seems everyone is doing bathroom posts at the moment, which I am loving as I am always seeing new pictures that instantly fill my head with new ideas...

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...like this one. I think the reason I am into this is because it is basically the layout that we already have on a smaller scale. It has the beaded board on the walls that we want, hexagon tile like will go under the claw foot, and I am now looking at a pedestal sink instead of the old cupboard. I think I will top this and use it as a dressing area.

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This is the way I want the tub to face, along the window, except our window will be larger. This is the same as our tub and I would love a separate shower as it is over our bath at the moment. The tin ceiling squares on the wall will be in our space, except in a different manner...you'll have to wait and see!!

Anyway, I am off to do a Kitchen consultation so I will see you tomorrow.

Have a lovely day,

Ness xx

The Warmth Of Stone

Having an old home I am smitten with stone, particularly if it too is old. The warmth and texture of old stone can give a space soul and as it ages just gets better. I have found these images via the wonderful Robbin Stubbert, who has captured these rooms beautifully.

This dining area is sophisticated, warm and is the perfect backdrop to all the vintage art and furniture. I love this space.
Even on the porch, it makes you feel welcome. That stone sill is gorgeous!

Couldn't you imagine being in here with a crackling fire going, the smell of a baked dinner in the oven...and a good book? The stone is decoration enough for the walls in here and colours from the stone are picked up in all of the furnishings.
I am loving the mantel in this room, with the carved out date. Stone can look just as beautiful in a modern space and can blend with any colour scheme to create lovely spaces. I do love the big wood beams and the ones above the windows.
How is this for a breakfast area?

I think if it was mine I would eat out here all the time, especially if it had an outdoor fireplace...wonderful! Our own home is built on blue stone and I just love it and would like to use it for big flagstone like paving outside, but it would cost a fortune. So for now I will just be content to look at these pictures and imagine the spaces I could create.

Have a wonderful day,

Ness xx

all images Robbin Stubbert

Still life from home x 2....

After a busy weekend, I thought a still life with some of my favourite things was in order seeing I don't usually post on weekends.

My favourite chair in our bedroom, my lovely market basket, that does double duty holding flowers on a table in our room, my old mirror that weighs a tonne, old frame and a letter 'D' for Declan. This photo wasn't staged, I was moving some things around (as usual) and had just put these here while I moved the table they live on now. It looked nice, so I took a picture.
This next still life features some little dish cloths I just bought off Scraps n Things. They are too pretty to use though and look great next to a bowl of Apples and my fire starter Lavender bundle....don't you just love afternoon sun light? Happy Winter Solstice! I hope you have enjoyed your weekend...the party was a hit and we are all pooped!! =0)
Ness xx

Our little man is 5....

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I can't believe our little man, Declan is 5 today. I have been busy preparing for his super hero party, which is tomorrow, all day today.
It just seems like yesterday that he was two. I love this photo of him playing hide and seek with puppy.

...and this one of him at the beach near our home about 4 months later. It does seem like a long time ago he was born, but 2 seems like yesterday...and now he is 5!!!

I hope you have a super weekend,

Ness xx

Entries to peek at...

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Do you love to peek inside peoples doors when they are open? I do. Especially at Christmas time or if it is a home I always wish I could have a look into. I don't do it to every house with a door open, there has to be something lovely about it first. An entry way, whatever the size, sets the tone for the home and is quite important to the overall theme of things to come. This one above is beautiful.
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I love houses that have staircases in the entry, especially if the staircase is pretty too. I am loving that big art work on the wall.

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Country halls are always inviting, and this one with it's stone wall and old world features is just begging you inside....I bet to a roaring open fire.

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All white and serene. Even in this thin space there I am glad there is somewhere to put your keys and mail down, check your hair and lipstick on the way out and to place a mirror to bounce some light around. One day I will have chandeliers down our hall when there are no threats from rogue toy cars flying around.

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Beautiful displays make you want to view the rest of the house and so many people neglect these spaces...why? If you love to travel, show your exotic pottery on the wall or your collection of black and white photography, old sheet music, whatever your into and give a hint of who lives here.
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Fresh flowers from the garden always look beautiful. I love the sort of displays that aren't artfully arranged and have that 'plonked in' look to them, especially if it is in an old crystal glass, even an old tin can be beautiful.
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This home screams "beach side living". I imagine it is stunning at night with the lanterns glowing down the hall.

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My favourite one is this. I can't put my finger on the exact reason, but I do think it is because it looks lived in, not staged, the vintage pieces, the palette and the fact that is a beautiful colour. Do you love to peek into peoples homes, or am I a bit different??

I would love to see a 'peek' of your entry way and tell me why you like it and what it says about you. I would love to pick a few and show them here. maybe we will have a competition!!!

Ness xx

Kitchen Cleanout...

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Tidying up my files today I realised how many photos of Kitchens I have. For a reason though, to inspire our own re-do, which will be a makeover to begin with and eventually a gut. My favourites are as follows. The top one is just gorgeous in every way.
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This little gem I found over at ABT and fell in love with the island and the beaded board on the cupboards, the hardware and the marble.
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3 Bell Jar lights sounds good to me. I love that the island is dark against white cupboards. This is a perfect solution for us as Mic wants wood cabinetry, and I want white.

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I did notice that most of the photos I have on file have 3 lights above the island. I have always been a fan of this, not only for the aesthetics, but for the difference it makes when you are doing any sort of fiddly prep. We had 3 white glass shades above our main prep area at the home we built and I loved it. This kitchen is magnificent and the turned legs over the breakfast bar are gorgeous.
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I love this. Simple, white, clean and uncluttered. I have a 'thing' about not having stuff on the benches...except my big glass canisters I have shown you before.

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The Aga in the old fireplace is something we would love to eventually do in our kitchen (with a electric/gas version), but I don't think I can part with our old wood stove...it's so cozy.

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A must!!!
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I would love to incorporate a breakfast bar. The tin on this ceiling is beautiful.
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The thought of having an old farmhouse table to do double duty as dining space and as an island really appeals to me, but it just wouldn't work for us just now. The mouldings on the doors are lovely and I would really like to do something with the baseboards like this to give a touch of fancy to them...the more I think, the more my head hurts...time to go to bed.

Ness xx

To see my other kitchen posts, see my labels at the right.